


Cut To The Kiss

by hutchabelle



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: Action, Actors, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Actors, Alternate Universe - Hollywood, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Car Chases, F/M, Filming, Hollywood, Matchmaking, Mutual Pining, Off-screen Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:07:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25768669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hutchabelle/pseuds/hutchabelle
Summary: Katniss and Peeta star in a summer blockbuster, but their onscreen chemistry needs a little extra help during a particularly fiery scene.
Relationships: Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark
Comments: 11
Kudos: 104
Collections: Everlarkian Archives Presents June Blockbuster Hits!





	Cut To The Kiss

“You are the most beautiful woman in the world. I need you,” Peeta confessed to the dark-haired vixen he cradled in strong arms. “Don’t say no. We don’t have much time.”

Katniss batted her eyes and wound her arms around her co-star’s neck. She threaded her fingers through his blonde curls and tugged him toward her. His lips settled on hers, and she pressed into him.

“And cut!”

Peeta released her and swiped his hand across his forehead. “It’s so damn hot. This is disgusting.”

Katniss arched her brow at him and fought hard to suppress a grin when he tripped over himself to reassure her hadn’t meant _she_ was disgusting.

“Shit. I’m sorry, Kat. It’s just so hot on this sound stage. Most of this sweat isn’t makeup. I’m drenched.”

“Yes, yes you are,” she agreed as she trailed her eyes across his sculpted torso. Lines of moisture trickled down his chest—the chest that had been flattened against her and separated from her skin only by the thin tank top she wore. She adjusted the left strap that had fallen down from her shoulder and could have sworn he was checking out her chest when she did.

“Mellark! Everdeen! Reset. We need to do it again from a closer angle.”

The makeup artists rushed in to pat the two with makeup and spritz water on their foreheads. Peeta took her in his arms again, and she shook her head so her hair would fall behind her.

“And action!”

A fan roared to life and a breeze swept over the two. Katniss arched her back slightly and waited for Peeta to deliver his line again.

“You are the most beautiful woman in the world. I need you.”

Katniss inhaled sharply and waited for his lips to find hers again. When they did, she lifted her arms to his neck and opened her mouth under his. Her co-star froze for a split second and then rubbed his tongue against hers timidly. She kissed him with enthusiasm and almost forgot they were acting.

“Cut! That’s a wrap. Good work today, guys.”

Peeta released her quickly and smiled at her for a second before turning and heading to his dressing room. She sighed in frustration, dropped her shoulders, and watched him walk away. Maybe he’d get up the nerve to ask her out the next day.

****

“Hi, Haymitch,” Peeta offered in greeting as he arrived on set the next morning. “What’s on the agenda for today?”

The assistant director handed Peeta a few pages of script and answered, “Car chase today. You’re running from the cop. No kissing in the mix. I know how much that sucks for you.”

“What sucks for you?” Katniss asked as she entered the sound stage.

“Nothing. Nothing at all,” Peeta answered quickly before heading to hair and makeup. She huffed in frustration at his back.

“You know the boy may need a little bit of a push, sweetheart.” She eyed the assistant director with wariness, which spurred him to explain. “The kid’s terrified of rejection. I wouldn’t suggest it any other time, but it might be a good idea to waste some tape and do something crazy like lay one on him—even if it’s unscripted. The whole crew’s cheering for you anyway.”

“I can’t do that,” she stammered.

“Sure you can, sweetheart! What’s the worst that can happen?”

“Are you serious? He could shove me away in front of everyone. He could stop speaking to me. I could get fired for wasting the studio’s time.” She felt her heart race in panic just thinking about the consequences of a rogue lip lock during the film’s busy filming schedule.

The production team was under intense pressure to finish shooting in what remained of the allotted two week time frame. The final cut would need a heavy editing process and a significant amount of CGI in order to supplement the explosions and action scenes they were in the process of filming. Retake after retake as well as frequent switching between the main actors in the film and their stunt doubles was tedious, but the end product would be worth it if the movie became the summer blockbuster many expected it to be. It was possible that both she and Peeta would receive not just a sizeable paycheck for their work in the spy thriller _Mockingjay_ but also would achieve stardom beyond their expectations.

Fame didn’t interest her much, but the opportunities for work that came along with the industry’s recognition did. Work as an actress had been sparse when she’d started, and she didn’t ever want to revisit the days when she worried whether or not she’d have enough food to keep her and her younger sister with full bellies.

She’d been ecstatic when she was cast opposite Peeta Mellark, an up and coming teen sensation who was managing the shift to adult action star quite well. His soulful blue eyes and blonde ringlet curls drew in female audience members, and his stocky build, angular jaw, and the hint of a few childhood scars made him rugged enough that he was a man’s actor as well. Her co-star would draw in an audience for their movie, and the onscreen chemistry between them was palpable.

Katniss pondered her situation as makeup and hair artists fluttered around her. Flipping through her script, she considered her options and realized one spot on page three presented the perfect opportunity to sneak a heated kiss into the action. Would she have enough gumption to surprise Peeta when the time came, or would she chicken out? Her stomach roiled in anticipation and beads of sweat popped out on her upper lip.

A few hours later, Katniss gulped in air in an attempt to catch her breath. She’d lost track of the number of times she and Peeta had sprinted from one end of the sound stage to the other, dodging spurts of fire and destroyed cars that would be CGI-enhanced to look like a war-torn street in post-production. They were both soaked in sweat, and she chuckled internally at her earlier plans to kiss him. She felt as un-sexy as possible. She wanted nothing more than to go home, take a shower, and fall into bed—alone and in fleece pajama bottoms paired with a cotton tank top.

“Cut!” Plutarch, the film’s director, barked. “Set for the rescue sequence.”

“Oh, thank you, Jesus. I can’t run anymore today,” Peeta panted. He was doubled over, his hands on his knees, next to her. She couldn’t help but admire the cut of his shoulders under the white t-shirt that clung to him.

“Agreed,” she gasped, out of breath both from running and from his effect on her. It took her several moments to realize they were finally filming page three of the day’s script.

Haymitch moved over to them to give them instructions. “Peeta, you’re going to pull Katniss from the car. You’ll have 30 seconds to get away before it explodes—except it won’t be a real explosion here on the sound stage. That’ll be added later. Got it?”

They both nodded, and Katniss allowed her team to remake her before settling into the prop that was supposed to be the wrecked car from which Peeta would yank her before they bolted to safety.

Once she was in the wreckage, the director called, “We’ve got to get this from several different angles, so be prepared. I expect at least a dozen takes. And action!”

Katniss suppressed a groan just as Peeta rushed into her line of vision. His eyes were wild, and he worked feverishly to jerk her through the small opening and to the street. Once he had her free and standing, he grabbed her hand and tugged her from the car.

“Cut! Reset.”

They worked the scenes several more times, but somehow it kept falling flat. The electricity that typically crackled between them seemed lacking, and it was clear others had noticed the same thing.

Haymitch shouted, “Get it together, guys! We need this to sizzle.”

Peeta groaned and muttered under his breath before mumbling to her, “I’m sorry. I don’t know what the problem is today.”

She turned her steely gray stare on him and pursed her lips. “We’ll get it this time,” she promised with a soft shrug of her shoulders.

“Give me something to work with this time. And action!”

The sound stage rumbled underneath her, and Katniss reached for Peeta when he approached the wreckage. He tugged her through the opening and set her on her feet as he’d done every other time they’d attempted the scene. This time, however, when Katniss was upright, she didn’t stay still. Instead, she grabbed him into a tight hug before cupping his cheeks in her palms and kissing him full on the lips.

Shocked, he stood completely still for a few seconds but quickly melted against her. He tilted her head back and swept his tongue through her mouth. She registered briefly that his lips were warm and slightly chapped before she pressed herself against his length. Her temperature rose, and she finally broke free from him. Pulling back, she gulped, “Thank you for rescuing me,” before clasping his hand firmly in hers and dragging him away from the wrecked car.

“Cut! What the hell was that?”

Katniss flushed deep red and turned to face the director. “I’m sorry. It just seemed like it needed to be done.”

“It was brilliant! Perfect! Let’s reset. Do it exactly the same way next time.”

They filmed take after take, and each time the kiss deepened and felt more intimate. By the time they broke for lunch, Katniss’ limbs were unsteady, rubbery and too weak to hold her upright for much longer.

“Katniss?” Peeta’s voice was gentle, soft and kind, but there was a current there that sent a jolt of electricity to places that didn’t need to be awakened on a movie set.

“Yes?” She figured answering simply was the best option.

“Are you free after we wrap today?”

She froze, her mind running in hyper-drive even though she was physically immobile. She could do no more than nod as his penetrating blue gaze held hers.

“Great. Let’s grab a drink. My treat.”

She nodded again, dumbly this time. He’d finally asked her to do something outside of work, and she was so stunned she couldn’t think straight.

He brushed past her on the way to craft services and leaned down to whisper in her ear, “Good. I think we have a lot to talk about. Either that, or we can just cut to the kiss.”

He sauntered toward the food, but the only thing she could see was the swagger he’d adopted since he’d arrived at work.

“Good work, sweetheart. That kiss was genius, and from the looks of loverboy, it might not be bad for your sex life either.”

As Haymitch wandered away, Katniss pressed her fingertips to her swollen lips. The impromptu kiss might have been her best work as an actress yet.

**Author's Note:**

> I've thought of expanding this one eventually. Let me know if you have suggestions for what you'd like to see happen.


End file.
